While Russians die in the war, Putin’s friends seek the secret of immortality: 7,000 monkeys for the Kremlin’s grand dream

At the Russian Kurchatov Institute, headed by Mikhail Kovalchuk, a large collection of primates has been established, including elderly animals used to study the aging process. The researchers hope their work will help find ways to influence human life expectancy. Kovalchuk spoke about this at the Kurchatov Genomic Forum in Moscow, Russian media report.

More than 7,000 primates of 22 species are kept at the institute’s breeding facilities. Researchers examine monkeys aged 18 to over 30, analyzing biochemical indicators, body structure, and the condition of their blood vessels and brains. According to Kovalchuk, the scientists aim to track the different stages of primate aging and use the data to develop a system for regulating lifespan.

The Kurchatov Institute and a Russian research center for surgery have already created a biobank of blood samples from long-lived monkeys. The center’s director, Konstantin Kotenko, said the samples will be used to study the mechanisms of aging. The Moscow Times and Meduza have also reported on the biobank’s creation.

Mikhail Kovalchuk is considered a longtime friend of Vladimir Putin and his unofficial adviser on scientific matters. His brother, billionaire Yuri Kovalchuk, is part of the Russian president’s inner circle.

Putin himself is also interested in longevity. In September 2025, during his visit to China, microphones accidentally picked up a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the possibility of extending human life to 150 years. Putin spoke about the prospects of biotechnology and repeated organ replacement, while Xi Jinping suggested that people might live to that age within this century.

Putin’s eldest daughter, Maria Vorontsova, an endocrinologist, is also involved in research on genetics and longevity. According to The Wall Street Journal, she is linked to Russian government programs focused on genetics and combating aging.

In October 2026, Vorontsova spoke at the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, where a longevity laboratory had opened. She described attempts to push beyond the natural limits of human life as an effort to “outwit God.”

As The Wall Street Journal previously reported, Russian research programs cover more than just the study of primate aging. Scientists are also working on gene therapy aimed at slowing cellular aging, bioprinting tissues, and growing organs for transplantation inside genetically modified pigs. The publication noted that, despite the state’s ambitious plans, the number of findings from this research confirmed in international peer-reviewed scientific journals remains limited.

We previously reported:

• Eternal Putin? The Kremlin has found a new national idea
• Putin says he is ready for talks and threatens to achieve all the war’s objectives
• Putin may “back down”: Two scenarios for the Kremlin after nearly five years of war
• 86% of Russians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction: results of a Ukrainian sociological survey